Letters to the editor

It didn't take long before my office started receiving phone calls asking if food and toys could be donated for the less fortunate families in Arundel and the surrounding communities.

Every year, starting around the middle of October, we kick off our holiday season. I have residents, friends, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, businesses and non-profit groups and agencies calling to donate food and money to help with our Thanksgiving baskets. This year we provided 30 baskets to residents of Arundel. After all the baskets were made, the remaining food went to our local church food pantry.

Christmas was another big holiday success for us. We had a total of 19 families in need of help for providing gifts to their children this holiday season. The Town of Arundel is very lucky to have so many generous people wanting to help. Secret Santa is a non-profit group that helps provide gifts to children in need from Arundel, Kennebunk and Kennebunkport. Residents pick a tag from our Secret Santa "Gift Giving Tree" and purchased the gifts requested. Howard & Ginny Walker along with their family built Congdon's Float for this years Christmas Parade in Ogunquit and Wells. They had a toy drive and all of the toys were placed on the float and then presented to me for distribution to all the children of Arundel who participated in Secret Santa.

I would like to send out a most sincere "Thank You" to Bentley's Saloon, Fraternal Order of Eagles, Weir's Motor Sales, Arundel Ford, Red Apple Campground, St. Phillips Parish, M. Welch & Sons, Labbe Excavating, Curlew Brothers Inc, Huston & Co., Free Christian Union Society, Boy Scout Troop 330, Girl Scout Troop 330 and everyone who gave so much this year to make this a special holiday season for so many. I am honored to work for a town that is filled with so many caring and giving people. I would also like to thank everyone associated with Secret Santa and Elder Elves for all that they do. These individuals donate so much of their time in order to put a smile on a child's face and the gift of love into the hearts of the elderly. I wish all of you the very best of the coming new year and always.

Wendy Lank

Arundel Social Services

Pearson will be missed

To the Editor,

I write today to thank Mr. Dana Pearson for his 13 years at the York County Coast Star. His approach, creativity, and devotion to this newspaper will be surely missed. As a writer he challenged you, the reader, to engage his reporting and contemplate the subject matter, be it film, a new business, or a look at local organization. As a satirist, he was brilliant. It is a rare gift to be able to craft something so deadpan, so convincing, and so...; well serious, about a school board meeting to then receive a barrage of calls and letters from upset readers the day it is in print (such a help to us on the advertising side of the paper)! Clearly it is evident that most of us missed the boat on his dry sense of humor. As far as dedication goes, it is too easy to put on the old "it goes without saying" routine, yet it is important to note, it goes without saying that Dana was so dedicated to that newspaper and anyone who had the chance to chat with him about it, if only for a minute, would realize this. Having had an opportunity to work with Dana for two years, I have to say, it was a pleasure and thank you.

Lastly, of all the contributions he gave to the newspaper, crack reporting, hard work, and dry wit, I would like to thank Mr. Pearson most of all for this; perhaps his most important contribution to our local school districts...;'more fish sticks'.

No, but seriously...;

Steve Kelly

South Portland

Mixed emotions about departure

To the Editor,

The news of Dana Pearson's departure from the York County Coast Star after 13 years has left me with mixed emotions—on one hand I am saddened by what a loss this is to the community, but on the other I am overjoyed that Dana is turning this new chapter in his writing career.

I have met few people in all my life who are as intelligent and quick-witted as Dana Pearson—he is, to me, Kennebunk's Mark Twain. Dana's ability to get at important, serious ideas with such sharp humor is truly a gift. He also appears able to retain nearly every shred of information he takes in (especially those things relating closely to either movies or the Beatles). Dana's ability to consume, assimilate, and then concisely relay large amounts of information has been a cornerstone in the Coast Star's success for the past 13 years—that Dana has done all this with such flair and humor is just icing on the cake.

On a personal level, I had the distinct pleasure of sitting just one desk away from Mr. Dana Pearson for over two years while I worked at the Coast Star. I consider him a rare combination of both mentor and peer. On a weekly basis, Dana added insights and improvements to nearly every single piece of writing I produced, whether during the reporting process or in the writing itself. In this frenetic world, such a trusting, respectful work relationship was truly a gift. I am grateful for every ounce of education I gleaned under Dana's tutelage.

Lastly, as I reflect on Dana's departure, I can't help but note that as is the case with so many good things, lots of people won't realize what they had until it's gone. You see, good denizens of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Ogunquit, and Wells, you will never truly know how fiercely Dana Pearson has fought to keep the Coast Star that idyllic icon he believes in so strongly: An Independent Community Newspaper. I've seen Dana's passion first hand and it is admirable.

I want to sincerely thank Dana Pearson for his service to this community and I wish him great luck with whatever lies ahead.

No, but seriously...;

Joshua Bodwell

Kennebunk

Thanks for generous support

To the Editor,

On behalf of the Wells Ogunquit Outreach, we would like to thank you for your generous support. You have all helped make this Christmas special for many parents, children, and elderly citizens.

Due to the economy, cost of fuel and food, people have to make tough choices. We received calls from families that never thought that they would have to ask for assistance. Thanks to you, 48 families, a total of 190 individuals, can celebrate with an abundance of food and presents from Santa.

Committee members have also found this to be a very rewarding experience. We feel that an angel must have been watching over us. As a request would come in, many times an offer of support would soon follow. One very grateful individual wrote to the committee to say thank you. This individual said "I was amazed to find an organization that truly does reach out to the community members, taking an interest in their needs and caring enough to really help. I have never experience this before."

As we hear on the news, giving is down and many families are going to experience a rough Christmas and year ahead. Please keep your adopted families in your thoughts and prayers during this holiday season and the new year and know you made a difference. We feel very fortunate that we were able to meet our community needs due to your generosity.

May you and your families be blessed throughout this Holiday Season and the coming New Year.

I am writing to alert you to a critical public safety issue affecting residents of York County—the lack of high-quality wireless coverage in rural areas. As our community gears up for what looks like a long, severe, unpredictable and oftentimes dangerous winter, it is critical that we are able to count on a strong, reliable wireless signal as it is often a primary means of communication during emergency situations.

The month of December has seen numerous snow storms, leaving behind a couple of feet of snow across much of the state. The winter storms have claimed a life in Saco, and they have been bad enough for Gov. John Baldacci to send state workers home early from work.

As a law enforcement official in Maine, I can testify that the lack of high-quality wireless coverage in rural areas is a critical public safety concern in Maine and in states around the country. First responders, firefighters and police officers all depend on reliable coverage to handle emergency situations ranging from natural disasters, car accidents to reports of domestic violence.

In many cases, reliable wireless service can mean the difference between life and death, especially at this time of year when severe weather can cause hazardous road conditions and widespread power outages.

Despite this, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently signaled its intent to cap the Universal Service Fund (USF) "very soon" — and could do so any day. Maine's rural wireless carriers estimate that a cap would cost Maine about $2 million per year, jeopardizing the construction of dozens of new sites. This would compromise public safety resources and further put us at a disadvantage during winter storms.

To this end, I support Connecting Rural America, an effort aimed to ensure that rural residents across the country have equal access to a strong, reliable wireless network. I urge you to visit www.connectingruralamerica.org to learn more and to take a stand for rural America.

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